Freetown planning to make POW/MIA chair purchase a learning opportunity

Tuesday

Feb 18, 2014 at 7:44 PMFeb 19, 2014 at 12:14 AM

Many communities have expressed interest in purchasing a POW/MIA chair, but Freetown also would like to turn it into an educational opportunity.

Last week, the Board of Selectmen approved Veterans Agent Donat LeBlanc’s request to purchase one of these chairs. But Selectwoman Lisa Pacheco, a former school official, suggested that they take it a step further.

Jeffrey D. WagnerCorrespondent

Many communities have expressed interest in purchasing a POW/MIA chair, but Freetown also would like to turn it into an educational opportunity.

Last week, the Board of Selectmen approved Veterans Agent Donat LeBlanc’s request to purchase one of these chairs. But Selectwoman Lisa Pacheco, a former school official, suggested that they take it a step further.

She requested that a portable podium be built, the chair be bolted to the platform and that town authorities use that setup to visit the schools and turn it into an educational opportunity.

Pacheco also expressed an interest in displaying the chair at every Town Meeting. LeBlanc said Town Hall would be the home base for the chair.

LeBlanc said the movement is sponsored by the Massachusetts chapter of Rolling Thunder Inc. and Hussey Seating Company. He said they are pushing to have a chair placed in every state city and town. The chair has made it to such high profile places such as Gillette Stadium, TD Garden and Fenway Park. A chair was dedicated at Fenway, fittingly enough, on July 4 of last year. On Memorial Day the previous year, a chair was dedicated at Gillette Stadium.

“They call it the chair of honor, but we call it the POW/MIA chair,” LeBlanc said. “We are trying to raise awareness and accountability of all those missing in action.” He said the concept of the empty chair spreads awareness that the prisoner of war or the person missing in action should be back sitting among fellow Americans again.

LeBlanc said this point became especially meaningful this week when the Obama Administration offered five Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the Taliban in exchange for United States citizen Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured in 2009 and is the last remaining United States prisoner held by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

LeBlanc said the cost of the chair is $300 and both locals American Legion posts and the Veterans of Foreign War Post No. 6643 have raised more than $150. The $300 costs include an American flag, a POW/MIA flag and a rope barrier.

LeBlanc said it will cost more to construct the podium, but he is confident that it can be built without asking taxpayers for the money. In fact, he told selectmen, he thinks all funds can be raised by the VFW and the local American Legion’s posts.